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IoT (Internet

intelligence). Sustainability.

At a glance, the global commercial printing market was valued at $494.53 billion (USD) in 2023, and is anticipated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.0% from 2024 to 2030, according to Grand View Research. The numbers are driven by growth in areas like packaging, promotional products, marketing services, design services, digital printing, direct mail marketing, signage, wide-format printing and web-to-print systems.

But where is the future of print heading? Here’s a snapshot of the trends buzzing through the industry:

AI and Print

Like many other printers, Dayna Neumann believes AI will be the next step in the technological advancement of printing. Already driving innovation in myriad aspects of the printing process, it joins machine learning, data analytics and robotics as the wave of future.

“AI will accelerate everything,” says Neumann, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer for United Direct Solutions (UDS) in Louisville, Kentucky. “The more we know about consumer behavior and desires, the more critical it is to meet them where they are, both with their buying decisions and interactions with brands. Print continues to have a place in the acquisition and education of consumers. Smart, targeted print can play a role in educating and acquiring new customers.”

Neumann says AI will permeate everything printers do. In the short term, print companies must examine AI implementations to streamline operational efficiencies. Leveraging AI in job tickets, machine learning, scheduling and job automation can quickly provide a competitive advantage. “From a user experience perspective, I think AI chattbots will continue to help website visitors learn more about your services and submit estimate requests or get a real time estimate on the fly. User experience on storefronts or enterprise platforms will improve with AI as clients submit increasingly complex orders in a DIY setting.”

Mike Graff, CEO of Sandy Alexander in Clifton, New Jersey, says the groundwork for AI was established a while back when machine learning hit the mainstream. “Equipment that can predict service and/or failure have been around for years now. As for client-facing AI opportunities, the ability to target a prospect or client with relevant data and pairing it with one-to-one print technologies will make for a powerful combination. I think personalization and targeted messages are just beginning to have relevance.”

The Green Machine

Another topic that has long been in the buzz of print is sustainability, which is critical as both an element of efficiency in operations and as a marketing message. Graff says commercial printers have been aided along thanks to a number of significant advancements on the manufacturing and supply sides.

“Some are organic improvements, i.e. UV inks, and some are market driven by clients such as recycled papers and FSC certification,” Graff says. “Speed of make-readies and reduction of waste is front and center on printers’ and equipment manufacturers’ minds, too.”

Neumann says the most sustainable printing technologies are the ones that are useful to the recipient. Take VDP, which achieves this in most cases. Together, with sustainable materials, recycling programs and efficient production environments, UDS encourages its clients to make sure their data is clean so they don’t waste money and resources on the wrong recipients.

“Our recent investment in a continuous roll-fed digital press is supporting our efficient production workflow and keeping waste to a minimum,” Neumann says.

Data, data, and more data In a time when data and data analytics are everything, the more printers can find ways to integrate the process into the print workflow, the better. Neumann believes this will have a huge impact on the print packaging world.

“Data and short print runs will break down the current barriers to entry for many creators,” she says. “We’ve seen it with highly targeted mailing with variable images from the customer’s cart, or based on their search and interactions with the brand. We can serve them the right images of products and services that will match their interests. There is no limit to the amount of variables a brand can use in their print communication.”

Neumann says, from her experience, it is about using the data to inform the next piece and to use each channel for a specific goal. Using print to demonstrate to a consumer that you are listening and paying color and print quality. Sustainability.

“This is not a revolutionary industry; it is an evolutionary one,” he says. “I think the speed and quality, and thereby the cost, of digital print will continue to improve. Automation in the manufacturing side is a must as labor becomes more costly and scarcer.”

Neumann doesn’t believe that the collaboration between tech and print is new. “I view our tech and equipment teams as an integral part of our business. We encounter the issues and they are by our side to solve them. Some of our best successes are when we partner with our tech solutions people. his relationship is at the heart of automation as was previously mentioned.”

Moving forward, commercial printers will continue to seek the best, most viable options for their businesses and their customers. In the end, success comes down to an “it takes a village” mentality. “I think knowledge sharing is critical for all industries,” Graff says. “With continued M&A activity in the print industry, we can expect to see this trend on a grander scale. In order to succeed, the print industry has to embrace the changes coming, while tech companies should recognize the valuable access points that the print industry can offer. It’s a twoway street in terms of driving innovation.”

As the industry continues to evolve, the path to success—and survival—hinges on adapting to evolving technology. It also means acknowledging that whatever strengths print has, there are ways to innovate the path forward.